Energetic materials such as thermite are presently used when highly exothermic reactions are needed. Uses include cutting, welding, purification of metal ores, and enhancing the effects of high explosives. A thermite reaction occurs between a metal oxide and a reducing metal. Examples of metal oxides include La2O3, AgO, ThO2, SrO, ZrO2, UO2, BaO, CeO2, B2O3, SiO2, V2O5, Ta2O5, NiO, Ni2O3, Cr2O3, MoO3, P2O5, SnO2, WO2, WO3, Fe3O4, CoO, Co3O4, Sb2O3, PbO, Fe2O3, Bi2O3, MnO2, Cu2O, and CuO. Example reducing metals include Al, Zr, Th, Ca, Mg, U, B, Ce, Be, Ti, Ta, Hf, and La. The reducing metal may also be in the form of an alloy or intermetallic compound of the above-listed metals.
Aluminum and other metals known to react with water in a highly exothermic reaction, although at room temperature the formation of aluminum oxide on the surface of the aluminum resists the reaction. Aluminum is therefore very safe to transport and store. It would therefore be desirable to have a way to utilize aluminum as a fuel, exposing the activated aluminum to water and initiating the reaction only at a desired time. Such a fuel system would be considerably safer than presently available fuel systems, and make possible the use of ambient oxidizers such as water and/or air.
Bernoulli equation is a well-known expression of the relationship between velocity and pressure for fluid flow. Bernoulli's equation is:
      pressure    +                  1        2            ⁢              (        density        )            ⁢                        (                      flow            ⁢                                                  ⁢            velocity                    )                2              +                  (        density        )            ⁢              (                  acceleration          ⁢                                          ⁢          of          ⁢                                          ⁢          gravity                )            ⁢              (                  elevation          ⁢                                          ⁢          height                )              =      constant    ⁢                  ⁢    along    ⁢                  ⁢    a    ⁢                  ⁢    streamline  Expressed differently:
            (              static        ⁢                                  ⁢        pressure            )        +          (              dynamic        ⁢                                  ⁢        pressure            )        +          (              hydrostatic        ⁢                                  ⁢        pressure            )        =      constant    ⁢                  ⁢    along    ⁢                  ⁢    a    ⁢                  ⁢    streamline  
The present inventors are unaware of any present use of Bernoulli's principles as a fluid flow regulating mechanism for providing and regulating a flow of water to a reaction of a metal with water. Use of Bernoulli's equation as a regulating mechanism would take advantage of a simple principle of physics rather than more complex, space-occupying, and weight creating devices to provide a predetermined amount of water to a water-based reaction.